Texts: Hard Times (sample)

This page presents the individual lines of the ‘Hard Times’ text. The text is provided in literal and idiomatic translations. To read and listen to the complete text, refer to the Hard Times full text page.

Line-by-Line Version

Title
ᑳᒌ ᐊᔨᒥᐦᒡ(**)
Kaachii ayimihch
Hard Times

 

Line 1
ᒌ ᒥᔅᑲᐌᒉᓂᒡ, ᐁᐅᒄ ᐊᓂᔮ ᐱᓕᐱᓴ ᒌ ᐃᔑᓂᐦᑳᓲ᙮
Chii miskawechenich, eukw aniyaa Pilipisa chii ishinihkaasuu.
Chii miskawechen-ich, eukw aniy-aa Pilipis-a chii ishinihk-aasu-u.
PAST find.TA(3PL>4)-3PL, this the.late-OBV Pilipis-OBV PAST be.callled.AI-REFL-3.
They found them, that one the late Philips was his name.

 

Line 2
ᒌ ᑲᐅᐦᑲᑌᒉᓂᒡ, ᐁ ᒌᐐ ᒦᒋᓱᐙᑯᐸᓀᓂᒡ᙮
Chii kauhkatechenich, e chiiwii miichisuwaakupanenich.
They had starved, they had wanted to eat.

 

Line 3
ᐁᒄ ᑳ ᒥᔅᑲᒫᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ ᐃᔅᑴᐤ ᐊᓐᑦ(**) ᒦᒍᐙᐦᐱᐦᒡ᙮
Ekw kaa miskamaahch aniyaa iskweu ant miichuwaahpihch.
Then we found it (body) the late woman in the teepee.

 

Line 4
ᐁᒄ ᐊᓂᔮ ᓈᐯᐤ ᓇᒧᐃ ᓅᐦᒋ ᒥᔅᑫᓈᓐ᙮
Ekw aniyaa naapeu namui nuuhchi miskenaan.
But the late man we didn’t find it (body).

 

Line 5
ᐋᑐᐐ ᑮᐹ ᒌ ᐊᑯᐦᑎᓄᐙᑯᐸᓀᓐᐦ(**) ᑯᔅᑲᓈᐲᐦ᙮
Aatuwii kiipaa chii akuhtinuwaakupanenh kuskanaapiih.
At least but they were in-the-water nightlines.

 

Line 6
ᐁᑯᑦ ᐋᑦ ᓂᔮᓂᑐᐌᐃᐦᑕᒫᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮
Ekut aat niyaanituweihtamaahch aniyaa naapeu.
There even we looked for it (body) the late man.

 

Line 7
ᔖᔥ ᒌ ᒥᐦᒉᑎᔫ ᐅᑕᐙᔒᒻᐦ᙮
Shaash chii mihchetiyuu utawaashiimh.
Already there were many his children.

 

Line 8
ᒌ ᒋᓄᑳᐳᔫ ᒫᒃ ᔖᔥ ᐊᓂᔫ ᐅᑯᓴ᙮
Chii chinukaapuyuu maak shaash aniyuu ukusa.
He was tall already his son.

 

Line 9
ᓇᒧᐃ ᓅᐦᒋ ᒥᔅᑯᐙᓈᓐ ᑲᔦ ᐊᓐ ᓈᐯᔥ᙮
Namui nuuhchi miskuwaanaan kaye an naapesh.
Not we did not find him also that boy.

 

Line 10
ᒌ ᐊᑯᑌᐤ ᒫᒃ ᐊᓐᑦ(**) ᑌᔑᐱᑖᑲᓐ, ᐁᑯᑦ ᐁᑯᑌᔨᒡ ᐊᓂᔫ ᐅᑕᔫᓐ ᐊᓂᔮ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮
Chii akuteu maak ant teshipitaakan, ekut ekuteyich aniyu uutayuun aniyaa naapeu.
There was a cache hanging there, that is where it was hanging that his furs the late man.

 

Complete Idiomatic Translation

Hard Times

A family was found dead.

They found the woman and the children in the tent.

But they couldn’t find the man and his oldest son.

They looked everywhere.

And where they stored their food for the winter, they only found his furs.